Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Alexander R. Brash, a longtime conservation leader and Connecticut
resident with an extensive record of success managing non-profits and
government agencies, has been named president of Connecticut Audubon
Society.

A skillful birder who is as comfortable scoping seabirds as he is in a
meeting room, Brash will take on the task of continuing and expanding
Connecticut Audubon Society’s many recent successes, including the
delivery of first-rate educational programs, conservation-focused
advocacy campaigns, and the sustainable management of its preserves.

Brash will start as president of Connecticut Audubon Society on
September 9, taking over for Robert Martinez, who retired in late August
after a decade as president of the organization.

Brash comes to CAS from his previous position as senior director for
the northeast region of the National Parks Conservation Association, a
non-profit that works to protect and support America’s national parks,
where he had been since 2004. During his tenure there, he opened the
Northeast Regional office, built a strong and diverse team, developed an
impressive array of programs, and helped raise more than $40 million
for the organization.

Previously he held positions with the New York City Department of
Park and Recreation, including as its chief ranger and head of its
Natural Resources Group.

A resident of Connecticut for much of his life, Brash has lived in
nearly each corner of the state, and now resides in Riverside.

There's much more information about Alex and about Connecticut Audubon Society's goals on our website, here.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Last week I had the opportunity to spend time
in the field with renowned naturalist Geoffrey Hammerson, author of the
acclaimed book Connecticut Wildlife - Biodiversity, Natural History, and
Conservation (Hammerson, 2004).Our time
was spent searching for anything scaly, slimy, shelled, slithery, squirmy, or a
combination thereof, as long as it was of the taxonomic Subphylum Vertebrata –
animals with backbones.And yes, you
guessed it, to be more accurate, our query were amphibians and reptiles (Orders
Amphibia and Reptilia (often referred together as “Herpetofauna”).Last week’s weather made for pleasant field
work, and we spent one afternoon and four mornings visiting sites in central Connecticut looking for
these wonderful creatures.

Our time in the field took us to a variety of habitats and
within various preserves and conservation lands. Among the Amphibia, we had no
trouble finding Green, Wood, Pickerel, or Bull Frogs in the wetlands, and
American Toad in the uplands.Northern
Dusky Salamanders and Two-lined Salamanders were often found in some of the
woodland streams we searched, and Red-backed Salamanders were encountered under
fallen logs on the forest floor. Sweeps of seasonal pools using a D-net within
forested areas often netted us Eastern Red-spotted Newts, Green and Bullfrog
Tadpoles, and larval Spotted Salamanders.

Spotted Salamander - (Ambystoma maculatum)

Among the Reptilia, Painted Turtles were the
easiest to spot, as they were often on display basking in the late morning sun
at many of the ponds we visited. At one particular pond, Geoff waded into waist
deep water, bent down with both hands under the water surface, and stood up
holding a full grown adult male Snapping Turtle!

Snapping Turtle (Chelydra
serpentina) - Haddam, CT

Snakes were harder to find, and even harder to capture,
suggesting that most don’t want to be noticed, and once they are, they beat a
hasty retreat. This proved true for the snakes we encountered in our travels
such as Ring-necked, Garter, and especially the sometimes grumpy Northern
Watersnake.

But the highlight of my week in the field with Geoff was
when he found a Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon
contortrix)– one of Connecticut’s
only two venomous serpent vipers (Family Viperidae)! Geoff found the copperhead
basking on a rock pile within a utility corridor with herbaceous vegetation. (The
Eastern Timber Rattlesnake is the other venomous viper that can be found in Connecticut.)

Northern Copperhead - (Agkistrodon contortrix)– Middlefield, CT

Northern Copperheads are not a species listed
in Connecticut’s Endangered Species Act (CTDEP 2010), but nevertheless, they
are recognized as a species of Greatest Conservation Need in Connecticut’s
Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CTDEP, 2005), and they have been
reportedly declining in the state for some time (Klemens, 1993). Despite their
ability to use their hypodermic needle-like fangs to administer a lethal dose
of venom to their preferred rodent prey, Northern Copperheads are not a major
threat to humans hiking in Connecticut’s
woodlands.For one, they are somewhat
range- and habitat-restricted (not every large forest tract has a population of
copperheads) and secondly, as Hammerson writes in his book: “…copperheads are
passive and reclusive. They never aggressively attack a person, but will strike
defensively if molested.”

Despite the menacing appearance of this snake
in the photo, it was not threatening us.Pit vipers have the ability to dislocate both of their upper and lower
jaw bones from their skull, so that they can swallow prey larger than their
normal mouth opening, and so that the four bones can work independently of each
other to work the captured prey back into their mouths and into their
throat.Once prey has been swallowed,
the jawbones are re-articulated.The
snake in this picture is realigning its jawbones, and not – as many might
assume – threatening to bite us.

Monday, August 12, 2013

At the Turkey Hill Preserve in Orange, CT
we are currently conducting field surveys in support of a Conservation and
Management plan for the Town Conservation Commission. While out surveying for odonata
(dragonflies and damselflies) and lepidoptera (butteflies and moths) I caught
something different out of the corner of my eye. I saw a larger hairstreak
(butterfly) with a funny suspicion it might not be an everyday CT “lep”. Well,
my suspicions were confirmed when a Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) fluttered up and landed in front of me.I was only able to get the one photo and
could not relocate it

The Red-banded Hairstreak is a more southerly ranging species.
However, its range is beginning to expand northward in recent years. They can
be found in open fields and forest edges. They have a few preferred nectar
sources including common yarrow (Achillea
millefolium), sweet pepperbush (Clethra
alnifolia) and common milkweed (Asclepias
syriaca). Hopefully, others will be able to enjoy this amazing species in
CT this season.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, in cooperation with Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division, is pleased to offer a free half day workshop for municipal officials and interested board and commission members facing the challenge of managing coastal resources for birds and people.

The workshop is designed to increase understanding and expertise regarding beach nesting birds such as the Piping Plover and other coastal species; explain local responsibilities for protecting these birds; share strategies and best management practices with shoreline colleagues; and finish the day with a guided tour of beautiful Milford Point, an area that provides habitat for several species of protected shorebirds and numerous other species.

The workshop is free and includes a morning classroom session followed by lunch (provided) and an afternoon guided beach walk at Milford Point. We hope that you will join us to learn more about our coastal waterbirds and how your community can help them thrive.

The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds is a joint project of Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society in cooperation with CT DEEP and USFWS. Learn more about our partnership and activities at: http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com/

This workshop is made possible through the generous support of the Long Island Sound Study and Toyota TogetherGreen.

Who are we?

Connecticut Audubon Society conserves Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and habitats. Founded in 1898, Connecticut Audubon Society operates nature facilities in Fairfield, Milford, Glastonbury and Pomfret as well as an EcoTravel office in Essex and an Environmental Advocacy program in Hartford. Connecticut Audubon Society manages 19 wildlife sanctuaries around the state, preserves over 2,600 acres of open space in Connecticut and educates over 200,000 children and adults annually. Working exclusively in the state of Connecticut for over 100 years, Connecticut Audubon Society is an independent organization, not affiliated with any national or governmental group.